Recognized internationally as one of the most influential artists in electronic music, Carl Cox continues to astound fans. And while he holds an exceptional discography and unmatched skills behind the decks, his ability to curate talent is unmatched. For the first time in 11 years, he’ll flex his unique skill set at Electric Zoo 3.0, performing a rare stateside festival appearance and curating the lineup on his very own Carl Cox Invites stage at the Hilltop Arena on Sunday, September 4. He’ll be joined by some of house and techno’s most sought-after DJs and live acts.



Carl Cox always heeps his ear to the underground, and for EZoo, he’s pulled together a lineup of artists who will light up the crowd with their original tracks, remixes, and edits. These are the artists that are pushing the culture forward. Cox said that he's putting together a very special set including music from his upcoming album Electronic Generations. His first album in over six years, he recently revealed the first track "How It Makes You Feel," a collaboration with Nicole Moudaber, that he's been road-testing for months.



Joining the king of techno is New York City-based tech-house guru Charles Meyer, Ibiza-based superstar Chelina Manuhutu, and Detroit house queen DJ Holographic.

“DJ Holographic has so much house music soul and true techno flavor in the music she plays,” Carl Cox said in a press release. “It draws you in the longer she plays. It really does come from the depths of her heart, you can feel it so much. This will be the first time I will get the chance to see her live, and I for one cannot wait.”



Techno legend and long-time friend of Carl Cox, Loco Dice, will join the Invites lineups. Loco Dice was also last on an EZoo lineup 11 years ago. The two iconic artists have frequently shared stages across the world, but this New York reunion is going to be a special one.



“Dice is always evolving with his sound of music that you cannot put in a musical box at all. He really does push the boundaries,” Cox said.



The prodigious Andrea Oliva and incredible Ilario Alicante will also perform a unique b2b set. Oliva will be stopping by between sets as a resident of Ibiza’s favorite day party spot Ushuaia. Alicante is quickly becoming a festival mainstay in his own right, having already performed at Ultra and EDC Vegas this year.



This year’s Electric Zoo lineup features a heavy influx of underground house and techno talent, and the Carl Cox Invites stage takeover will be the cherry on top for the revamped festival. With only a few months left until the quintessential New York festival returns to Randall’s Island, Carl Cox and friends are counting down the days. We know we’ll be at the Invites stage on day three of Ezoo, will you? The only right answer to that question is “Oh yes, yes.”









Carl Cox Returns to Electric Zoo and Curates Carl Cox Invites Takeover

On Saturday, October 23 Gray Area takes over Diplo’s Revolution on Sirius XM to host an eight-hour journey into the many realms of house and techno. The show pops off at 12 noon ET and thumps until 8 PM. OCHO features eight distinctive talents from the many reaches of house and techno including Luciano, Diplo, Blackchild, Tini Gessler, Vintage Culture, Will Clarke, Chelina Manuhutu, and AMÉMÉ.

OCHO marks the first time Gray Area will dive into the world of broadcasting. It exemplifies Gray Area's mission to unite the international house music community connecting the lines between its rich sub-cultures.

“Sirius XM plays an integral role in building the house music community in North America – which happens to also be Gray Area’s mission – by programming this genre of dance music on Diplo’s Revolution. We are very proud to collaborate on Ocho, a program featuring 8 hours of non-stop exclusive sets representing different sub-genres of house music played by both rising and established international artists, and look forward to other collaborative projects with our friends at Sirius XM to spread the love of house music across North America. Let there be MORE house!” says Michael Julian, founder of Seers – the dynamic venture behind Gray Area and other projects in the world of electronic music and live events.

Joey Sutera, Head of Live Entertainment adds, “We are committed to unifying house music culture around the world.”

Ocho airs on SiriusXM on Saturday, October 23, 2021. Listen here.



The Acts

Diplo

Leading the charge is global music icon, ferocious underground champion, and colorful personality Diplo. The ubiquitous and influential producer has touched every genre of music in his well-documented career. Diplo brings an expert level of curation and an encyclopedic knowledge of the culture of dance music to every set.

Luciano

Chilean-born, minimal techno kingpin Luciano has long been one of the genre’s most influential figures. His enchanting sets are informed by his Latin American heritage and always enliven the spirit.

Blackchild

Rising Italian DJ and producer Blackchild’s releases on Solid Grooves and Hot Creations have are supported by Fisher, Todd Terry, Marco Corolla, and Kenny Dope. He expertly blends the sticky funk of classic house with the low-end thump of tech house.

Tini Gessler

Relative newcomer Tini Gessler has made a sharp impact on the Spanish scene with her pumping deep tech house. She's earned vital residencies with Pacha Barcelona and Elrow. And she's flexed the legendary systems of Space and Pacha in Ibiza. Over the last year, she’s firmly asserted herself as a sought-after producer dropping records with the likes of Toolroom, Cr2, and Desert Hearts.

Vintage Culture

Vintage Culture has catapulted himself into the hearts of millions in recent years with a sound that brilliantly straddles the line between underground and mainstream. The Brazillian artist’s music has dominated dancefloors and radio with hits like “Slow Down,” “In The Dark,” and his remix with John Summit of Sofi Tukker’s “Drinkee” all streaming in the millions.



Will Clarke

Will Clarke’s move from Dirtybird Player to techno titan was a natural progression for the veteran English producer and DJ. His taste-making label All We Have Is Now bridges the gap between the nostalgia of the old-school and the intensity and weight of the new.

Chelina Manuhutu

Dutch-born Chelina Manuhutu brings with her the influence of a musical family. Her father was part of the Latin funk band Massada. Her chunky tech-house is full of stuttering percussion, brilliantly funky basslines, and the bubbling effervescence of a summer-time pool party.



AMÉMÉ 

West African-born AMÉMÉ transports his cultural heritage into all that he does. The leader of One Tribe, a global dance community, seamlessly blends compelling melody, sultry soul, and the driving rhythms of his homeland.



You can tune in to OCHO on SiriusXM here. For updates on set times, follow Gray Area on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Gray Area Partners With Diplo's Revolution for OCHO

Netherlands

Chelina Manuhutu

Ezoo Official Afterparty | Andrea Oliva, Bontan & Chelina Manuhutu

United States

Quantum Brooklyn

ARC Music Festival

Union Park

Paradise

Spain

Amnesia

elrow Growenlandia

Skyline Orlando 2022

Orlando Amphitheater

I can tell how good the weather is in Ibiza as I speak to Chelina Manuhutu. It’s bright and two gorgeous leafy ferns behind her almost make me feel like I'm there. The weather in Ibiza is a distillation of her sunny optimism. The Dutch artist’s chunky tech-house seems to be inspired by the White Isle as well. Full of stuttering percussion, brilliantly funky basslines, and the bubbling effervescence of a summer-time pool party.

Born in the Netherlands, music was ubiquitous from the start. Her father, Johnny Manuhutu, was part of the Latin funk band Massada. Her mother was a professional dancer. And both of her older brothers were musicians. Chelina's family encouraged each other's artistic endeavors.

Her parents motivated her to go after what she wanted, be it modeling, dancing hip hop, or being in an all-girl band as a teenager. “My parents were always super proud,” she says. 

Her parents loved to see her express herself. “Because in their eyes, they are also artists, and they loved it. I think it really helps to explore who you are, what you want to do. Not being caged anywhere.”

Growing up in Holland meant she always had access to the best music in the world. Her parents took her to see old school acts like The Pointer Sisters. “It’s normal,” she explains, “you go to festivals at a young age, right. And you have so many choices.”

She started to hit dance music festivals on her own as a teenager. And while she did look up to her brother who was a DJ. It was an encounter with Carl Cox at Dance Valley that flipped the script for her.

“I was like, wow, what is this? I still get goosebumps, [Carl] was playing the mainstage. And I was saying, you know, I feel so free also because I was really young and I was allowed to go out, without my bigger brothers taking care of me. Watching, babysitting me, actually. So, I was like, ‘wow, this is this is amazing.’ The music and the vibe and the energy. I wanted to feel that forever.”

Even then her parents were in full support of her going out as much as she wanted. She wasn’t technically allowed to go to clubs because she was too young, but that didn’t stop her from joining her older brother at his gigs. “we wake up at seven in the morning, and we go to after party, and he's playing, you know, and I'm like, looking at Wow, this is surreal. And my dad thought it was fine. Because I'm with my big brother.”

By 2010 she followed in her brother's footsteps and was DJing. Modeling was still her main focus. Until a tragic accident at Christmas. She was sent to the hospital with burns on much of her back, arms, and legs. She took it in the best way possible.

She figured, “Now I have time for my music. You know, it wasn't like I was super depressive [sic]. I was actually fine with it, because I did such a career modeling. And maybe I was ready also for something new, you know, and the music was waiting for me.”

Chelina’s thought process is yet another example of her resilience and ability to find the silver lining in everything.

As the summer season began in Ibiza in 2011, she took a characteristic leap of faith. While on holiday, she approached the owner of Blue Marlin Beach Club with a demo CD and her phone number. She was only in town for a week, but she wanted to play there. Two days later, she booked her first Ibiza club gig.

She hadn’t fully recovered from her accident but she seized the opportunity to jump-start her new career. The courage to make a power move like that is how she was raised.

“I have nothing to lose. My parents always tell me you can get a no, but you can get a yes. So, you should just go out there. Why not try?”

She always put her trust in the process. In the idea that everything always works out. It’s one of the most important lessons she’s learned from her parents. “We were always really relaxed, go with the flow, see what happens."

Her philosophy on manifestation is simple and effective. It’s resulted in residencies at Pacha and Blue Marlin and festival bookings for Elrow and Ultra.

“I want that, I want that on this day.” She explains about her ability to manifest. “See what happens, enjoy. And if it will come it will come. Of course, you have to work hard for it. And that's what I also did. And if you really go for something, I think good things will happen.”

60 Seconds With Chelina Manuhutu

Chelina Manuhutu discusses her beginnings in dance music and her first gig in Ibiza. 

Read our Spotlight on Chelina - https://entergrayarea.com/artists/che...

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I can tell how good the weather is in Ibiza as I speak to Chelina Manuhutu. It’s bright and two gorgeous leafy ferns behind her almost make me feel like I'm there. The weather in Ibiza is a distillation of her sunny optimism. The Dutch artist’s chunky tech-house seems to be inspired by the White Isle as well. Full of stuttering percussion, brilliantly funky basslines, and the bubbling effervescence of a summer-time pool party.



Born in the Netherlands, music was ubiquitous from the start. Her father, Johnny Manuhutu, was part of the Latin funk band Massada. Her mother was a professional dancer. And both of her older brothers were musicians. Chelina's family encouraged each other's artistic endeavors.

Her parents motivated her to go after what she wanted, be it modeling, dancing hip hop, or being in an all-girl band as a teenager. “My parents were always super proud,” she says. 

Her parents loved to see her express herself. “Because in their eyes, they are also artists, and they loved it. I think it really helps to explore who you are, what you want to do. Not being caged anywhere.”

Growing up in Holland meant she always had access to the best music in the world. Her parents took her to see old school acts like The Pointer Sisters. “It’s normal,” she explains, “you go to festivals at a young age, right. And you have so many choices.”

She started to hit dance music festivals on her own as a teenager. And while she did look up to her brother who was a DJ. It was an encounter with Carl Cox at Dance Valley that flipped the script for her.

“I was like, wow, what is this? I still get goosebumps, [Carl] was playing the mainstage. And I was saying, you know, I feel so free also because I was really young and I was allowed to go out, without my bigger brothers taking care of me. Watching, babysitting me, actually. So, I was like, ‘wow, this is this is amazing.’ The music and the vibe and the energy. I wanted to feel that forever.”

Even then her parents were in full support of her going out as much as she wanted. She wasn’t technically allowed to go to clubs because she was too young, but that didn’t stop her from joining her older brother at his gigs. “we wake up at seven in the morning, and we go to after party, and he's playing, you know, and I'm like, looking at Wow, this is surreal. And my dad thought it was fine. Because I'm with my big brother.”

By 2010 she followed in her brother's footsteps and was DJing. Modeling was still her main focus. Until a tragic accident at Christmas. She was sent to the hospital with burns on much of her back, arms, and legs. She took it in the best way possible.

She figured, “Now I have time for my music. You know, it wasn't like I was super depressive [sic]. I was actually fine with it, because I did such a career modeling. And maybe I was ready also for something new, you know, and the music was waiting for me.”

Chelina’s thought process is yet another example of her resilience and ability to find the silver lining in everything.

As the summer season began in Ibiza in 2011, she took a characteristic leap of faith. While on holiday, she approached the owner of Blue Marlin Beach Club with a demo CD and her phone number. She was only in town for a week, but she wanted to play there. Two days later, she booked her first Ibiza club gig.

She hadn’t fully recovered from her accident but she seized the opportunity to jump-start her new career. The courage to make a power move like that is how she was raised.

“I have nothing to lose. My parents always tell me you can get a no, but you can get a yes. So, you should just go out there. Why not try?”

She always put her trust in the process. In the idea that everything always works out. It’s one of the most important lessons she’s learned from her parents. “We were always really relaxed, go with the flow, see what happens."

Her philosophy on manifestation is simple and effective. It’s resulted in residencies at Pacha and Blue Marlin and festival bookings for Elrow and Ultra.

“I want that, I want that on this day.” She explains about her ability to manifest. “See what happens, enjoy. And if it will come it will come. Of course, you have to work hard for it. And that's what I also did. And if you really go for something, I think good things will happen.”

Chelina Manuhutu

Articles

Gray Area Editorial Team

Alexander Dias